Fire damages Brandy Brook Avenue home

March 1, 2013

SARANAC LAKE - An electrical problem is being blamed for igniting a fire that damaged a home on Brandy Brook Avenue early this morning.

Saranac Lake firefighters were called around midnight to a report of a working structure fire at 20 Brandy Brook Ave., a three-story home that property tax records say is owned by David and Anne Munn. They responded with two trucks and 14 members.

Andy McGill, the department's first assistant chief, said three people were home when the fire broke out.

"The property owner, his wife and his teenage daughter were in bed, and for some reason he came downstairs. He said he heard something," McGill said. "He got to the bottom of the stairs and there was a lot of smoke, so he ran upstairs, got his wife and daughter, and they got out of the house. By that time, I guess he said he saw some flames."

Head Saranac Lake Fire Driver Rick Yorkey said firefighters knocked down the blaze in about 20 minutes, containing it to the kitchen area, which he said sustained extensive damage.

"It was mostly interior damage in the kitchen area and part of the bathroom," McGill said. "I didn't get upstairs, but I'm guessing they had some smoke damage up there because it was pretty heavy coming out of the upstairs windows.

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"The boys got it knocked down pretty quick. We chased it around a little bit there in the kitchen. We got the ceiling down and made sure there wasn't any more going on than what we could see."

McGill said investigators believe the fire was caused by an electrical problem, though he didn't provide any more specifics. The investigator handling the case didn't immediately return a message left by the Enterprise this morning.

McGill said he didn't know if the homeowners had insurance.

Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department members responded to the scene in mutual aid. An ambulance from the Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad also stood by at the scene. Paul Smiths-Gabriels firefighters manned the Saranac Lake fire station during the call.